In a cat pickle
Hello, I moved into a brand new, somewhat isolated, rural community about seven months ago. It is a strange set up with a three bedroom house in the front, and an apartment in the back upstairs over the garage. There are about 10 houses and they are continually building.
This lovely, large, gentlemen cat showed up at my front door and marched right in. I have not had a cat as an adult, but his presence was welcome as this is a huge transition for me in my life. Overtime, I began to learn that he was sort of a neighborhood, friendly, cat, and his owners are the people who live in the front of the house. They didn’t seem to mind that he was visiting me and he began staying overnight. The first time I looked in his eyes, I noticed that they go back-and-forth and that he has a little bit of difficulty seeing. We bonded immediately. I’ve learned the importance of pets in peoples lives through being a therapist. He and I immediately bonded, and I grew concerned over his health as he frequently vomited. When speaking to his owners, they did not seem concerned about his vomiting, so I begin treating him with hairball supplements that I picked up at the store.
I thanked my neighbors for letting him stay with me and they seemed happy with the arrangement. I put him on a 250 cal/day diet, and take him out for playtime several times a day, and I brush him ALOT. If he skips his hairball supplements, he vomits the next day. I spoke with the owners two more times about his health. Finally, I took him to the vet myself. I learned he is Siamese and tabby, about six years old and still has a couple more pounds to lose as he weighs 17 pounds! I have another set of neighbors who have house cats and before I moved in they had actually put a heated bed for him outside as they noticed he would be outside all night during the winter.
Now, if I leave for the weekend, he stays with them.
I am moving out of here in two weeks, and I will be camping for the summer. I am going to ask the owners if I can adopt him… My plan is to to get him a cat tent, a fan, a cooling gel pad etc. To keep him as cool and comfortable as I can, but I know he is going to get freaked out. I am currently leash training him, and will be setting up both my tent and his cat tent in the apartment so that he can get used to them. Many of the things I read caution against taking a cat camping. I’m afraid I have to consider the possibility of finding him a healthy home, but we have bonded so much, I really can’t stand the thought. I am of the opinion that he would be better off with somebody who loves and cares for him, rather than leave him behind with his owners. What would you do?